My roommate had a heart attack last night

[meow2u3]

My roomie woke me up b/c he had severe chest pains and had to be brought to the ER. When he was brought back, they saw his blood pressure was as high as 200/120 and gave him meds to bring down the BP.

I was supposed to go into Philly this weekend, but the plans didn't pan out. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because if I didn't take him to the hospital, he wouldn't have made it and I would have come home to a dead roommate.

Today, he called me to let me know he has to go in for emergency bypass surgery. It sounds as if he has a blockage in his artery.

[Wait Wut]

1. He's lucky you were there...

...and that you were calm enough to take control. I'm horrible at situations like this.

Give him our best and tell him he owes you dinner!

[Aristus]

2. Had he been diagnosed previously with high blood pressure?

If so, why wasn't he on medication?

I'm glad you and he caught it in time. Hope the bypass graft goes well...

[meow2u3]

4. He has had heart attacks and atrial fibrillation when he was younger

and before I knew him. We've only been sharing an apartment for a year and 8 months and his wife dropped dead of an ruptured aorta a year and a half ago. The last thing I needed is two roommates dropping dead on me.

He wasn't on meds before because he was uninsured and was absolutely broke until November, when he retired early.

He's on medication now. He has been stubborn and refuse to change his ways, despite my advice. Now that he's laid up and about to go into surgery, he found out I was right.

[Aristus]

5. Most of the meds needed to control high blood pressure are fairly inexpensive.

Diuretics and ACE Inhibitors go for $4 for a month's supply at places like Wal-Mart, Fred Meyer, or Target. Calcium-channel blockers and Angiotensin Receptor-Blockers are going to be much more expensive.

Tell him for $4 a month, he can keep his b/p under control, and that it's time to change his ways...

[grasswire]

6. hide the table salt

maybe you can encourage him to adopt some new lifestyle habits.

[Bertha Venation]

3. Damn.

I am so sorry to hear it. Good vibes headed out to him (and to you).

[femmocrat]

7. TG you were at home! He was very lucky.

Best vibes to you both.

Maybe this will be the wake-up call that he needs.

[meow2u3]

8. Roomie went into surgery today at about 3

I haven't heard from him, perhaps because it was bypass surgery, and AFAIK, that operation is not very swift.

[kwassa]

9. well, he is alive, and about 30% don't survive the first heart attack.

Most of those don't even know they have a heart problem. He is already doing better.

Speaking as one who survived. I didn't require bypass, however, only a single stent.

[meow2u3]

10. The docs are saying he might have a blockage in the artery

[kwassa]

11. of course, he does, I had 95% blockage in the LAD

Left Anterior Descending, one of main blood supplies to the heart. Also known as "The Widow Maker", as told to me twice in emergency rooms as a patient.

they don't do bypass without major blockage. The blockage is so bad they are bypassing them, the reason for the operation.

[meow2u3]

12. So that explains the dizziness and irritability he had

As well as the sky-high blood pressure that wouldn't go down, even after nitroglycerine.

[grasswire]

13. public service announcement

Did he remember to take an aspirin at the onset of chest pains?

Hopefully, someone will always remember to make that happen. I carry aspirin with me.

[kwassa]

14. nitro is for pain, not blood pressure

here is good info on meds for blood pressure:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/high-blood-pressure-medication/HI00028

Read the good websites: American Heart Organization, WebMD, Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic.

edit to add: It is important to become educated on the subject, if one has heart disease. It sounds like both you and the roomie could benefit from reading the info on these sites. This really is life or death stuff.

[meow2u3]

15. Update: my roomie has no heart problem. That's the good news

The bad news is that he has a blockage in his femoral artery. That could have explained the dizziness, trouble walking, and high blood pressure.

[kwassa]

16. I'm sorry, but ...

what causes blockages in the femoral artery will also be causing it throughout the body, including the heart. It doesn't happen locally in one artery only.

Someone with atherosclerosis risks the formation of blood clots in affected arteries. When blockage occurs in a leg artery the condition is called a femoral artery blockage. Symptoms of blockage include leg pain and cramping which becomes worse during activity.

The most common cause of femoral artery blockage is atherosclerosis, a disease which causes the arteries to narrow. Atherosclerosis is a progressive and chronic disease in which material made up largely of calcium, fat, and cholesterol is deposited on the walls of arteries. This material hardens and forms a structure called a plaque, which narrows the arterial walls, makes the arterial walls rough, and reduces their flexibility. The diseased arteries are at risk of being blocked by blood clots, which can prevent transport of blood in the artery.

Multiple arteries are at risk of being affected by atherosclerosis, including the carotid arteries of the neck, and the coronary arteries. Also at risk are the femoral arteries and their extensions, the popliteal arteries.

http://www.healthguideinfo.com/coronary-artery-disease/p59707/